The budget should reflect the support the actual role requires. There is no universal payroll or employee number that purchases L-1A eligibility.
Connect each cost to operational work
Identify who performs quoting, order processing and delivery, and whether the business can support the arrangement. Separate those ongoing expenses from government and professional fees. In a new-office case, explain how the operation supports the qualifying role within one year of approval rather than presenting unfunded future hires as existing resources.
Mostly into accounting and evidence work: producing reliable financial statements, reconciling internal figures with filings, assembling payroll and contract records, and paying counsel to assess whether the position now supports the claim. The costs that surprise small family groups are the preparation costs rather than the fees: obtaining current share registers and beneficial ownership documents, preparing financial statements that may not exist in the form required, and assembling several years of payroll history. A small company sometimes underestimates the ongoing costs of maintaining two trading entities, because the Canadian parent must remain active for the whole period, including its own payroll and filings.